CEP Germany Webinar: The Threat Posed by Transnational Violent Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism in Finland and Sweden

(New York, N.Y. / Berlin) – Arrests in Europe at the end of 2020 and events in the United States in January 2021 highlighted the escalating threat posed by right-wing extremists and terrorists. Since 2014, a new leaderless, transnational, apocalyptic, and violent extreme right-wing movement has emerged. It is transnationally linked through narratives such as the “great replacement,” “white genocide,” and “Day X.” Driven by music, violent sport, money, and violence, it is connected through frequent international travel to music and mixed martial arts events as well as marches and rallies. These events also provide the movement with finances to sustain its existence and attract new recruits.

Between July and November 2020, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) in Germany, commissioned by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, analyzed the violent right-wing extremist and terrorist milieus in a range of European countries and the United States, focusing on their developing transnational connections and violent actions. Through a series of webinars in 2021, CEP Germany has been presenting the findings of this research project to the wider public and discussed the current threat posed by this movement in greater detail with the various authors of the report. The full CEP report can be accessed here.

Following three CEP webinars, one focusing on the main findings of the report, one focusing on the situation in France and Germany, and one focusing on the situation in the United Kingdom and the United States, this final webinar of this short series will focus on the situation in Finland and Sweden.

In addition to presentations by the authors of the respective country chapters, representatives of the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Foreign Ministry of Finland, and the Foreign Ministry of Sweden will open the event.

The event will be held in English via Zoom on
Thursday, March 4, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. ET / 16:00 CET

The agenda is as follows:

Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director, CEP
Opening remarks and moderation

Bernd Heinze, Head of Division, International Cooperation against Terrorism, Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime, Foreign Office, Federal Republic of Germany
Opening remarks

Amb. Päivi Kairamo, Head of Counterterrorism Cooperation, Legal Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland
Opening remarks

Amb. Fredrika Ornbrant, Counter Terrorism Coordinator, Department for European Security Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
Opening remarks

Tommi Kotonen, PhD, research coordinator, University of Jyväskylä
Situation in Finland

Morgan Finnsiö, researcher, analyst, and educator at the Expo Foundation, contributing editor of Expo Magazine, Stiftelsen Expo
Situation in Sweden

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the issues with the speakers following their respective presentations in a Q&A segment. Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues.

If you like to participate in this webinar, please register via the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_my34wdQkSfighrbUDrGyfQ

You will receive the login details after the approval of your registration. If possible, please register up to 1 hour prior to the start of the event. Thank you.

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